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Careers

Director of New Ventures

The University City Science Center is seeking a dynamic leader to support and lead programming related to new venture creation and support in the Philadelphia region.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Director will work under the direction of the VP Government and Capital Engagement to develop, deploy and support programming at the Science Center focused on New Venture Creation. The Director will be responsible for driving engagement and recruitment for programming in the University City Science Center and will be expected to lead program outreach for participants as well as engage external program partners. A successful candidate will have deep expertise in technology-based venture creation and will have a core understanding of current “state of practice” in entrepreneurial education and support. The Director should have a firm grasp of technology transfer mechanisms as well as a solid basis for understanding the capital and funding cycle of high technology ventures. The ideal candidate will also have a firm understanding of federal funding mechanisms both for ventures as well as for nonprofit organizations.

The Director, New Ventures will focus primarily on the following program areas:

  1. Leading the recruitment, partnerships and programming for the Science Center Entrepreneurial fellowship programming, including building a scaling plan for core academic partners.
  2. Work to refine and deploy the partnerships, program structure and recruitment for Science Center later stage new venture support programming.
  3. Support global venture support programming at the direction of the VP of Government and Capital Engagement.
  4. Manage and help in the formation of the Health Tech Innovation Committee to be formed by the Science Center.

The Director will have a cross-industry knowledge of the needs of technology-based startup companies in the life/health sciences, physical sciences, and/or digital industries; will be a competent project and process manager with a deep knowledge of university-based startup creation as well as angel and venture funding methods related to due diligence processes. The director will have a ready network of high value assets to the Science Center including investors, technology transfer networks and key contacts within the healthcare industry.

The Director, New Ventures will report directly to the Vice President, Government and Capital Engagement and participate in department activities as necessary.


ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

  • Operational oversight of the Science Center’s core commercialization programs and activities:
    • Core oversight of the Science Center Entrepreneurial fellowship programming to include program design, expansion, funding and promotion. 
    • Work to create and maintain the HealthCare Innovation Committee for the Science Center.  
    • Promote and deploy late-stage capital readiness based educational programming across the region targeted at producing high value, investor ready companies.  
    • Work to design and deploy the Science Center’s SBIR/STTR TABA offerings.  
    • Recruit domain-specific experts and entrepreneurs to act as mentors, advisors, selection team members, and define their roles and relationships; 
    • Create and manage the Science Center Alumni Network of Program Participants and Companies 
    • Manage participants throughout their engagements with commercialization programs; 
    • Develop opportunities to showcase participating companies and facilitate their graduation to post-program opportunities;   
    • Develop scale programming models for new venture creation. 
    • Supervise one or more interns or program staff, according to program scale 
  • Collaborate with Science Center program and operations staff to: 
    • Create progress reports for public/private funders and other stakeholders as necessary; 
    • Assist in the preparation of documentation or other materials for use in fundraising efforts, as required; 
      • Manage accounts and program budget; 
      • Manage internal and external communications for commercialization programming and support communications for our other programs as needed. 
  • Represent the Science Center among its various communities and stakeholders and promote business incubation and venture acceleration programs with visiting delegations and at regional and national conferences and through membership in professional and industry organizations as directed. 


ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Management Duties:
  1. Provide management of department and administrative support staff through independent judgment and decision-making.
  2. Regularly direct the work of, schedule, and provide staff development opportunities and training to program staff.
  3. Perform management functions for the department such as performance management, salary recommendations, workload distribution, communication, and recognition activities.
  4. Participate in the development of a departmental budget as part of the organization’s budget preparation process and operate within budget limitations.
  5. Ability to accept feedback on ways to improve, as well as deliver constructive feedback to teammates.


KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

  1. Passion for science, technology and entrepreneurship, and a strong understanding of practices and concepts of growing early-stage technology companies. International experience a plus.  
  2. Deep expertise in the creation and deployment of entrepreneurial education-based programming and coursework. 
  3. Demonstrated ability to manage and deploy complex work training programs to constituents in the high-tech startup ecosystem.
  4. Understanding of technology transfer process and key procedures between university institutions and startups. 
  5. Deep understanding of new venture due diligence processes and methods.
  6. Understanding of new venture valuations and financial models. 
  7. Understanding of and previous work on federally funded projects and programs in the innovation space. 
  8. Core understanding of intellectual property as it pertains to new venture creation. 
  9. Existing network and relationships across the investment community in the region. 
  10. Ability to utilize existing and cultivated relationships to promote science center programming and activities effectively.  
  11. Demonstrated ability and willingness to build relationships with key actors in innovation, entrepreneurship ecosystems, and drive related corporate or organizational engagement. 
  12. Ability to lead change in a positive and productive manner. 
  13. Ability to communicate effectively, verbally and in writing, about scientific, technical, and business issues, with the Science Center management team, Sc staff, and a wide variety of external stakeholders. 


Embodies and Models Science Center Values:

  • Unity: Promotes one Science Center, united and guided by our mission.
  • Open Communication: Practices open communication by encouraging a diversity of ideas and recognizing the value of sharing opinions and experiences in our work.
  • Integrity: Creates an environment of trust and integrity. Honest and ethical in everything.
  • Impact: Works to make a meaningful and measurable difference in the lives of others.
  • Equity & Inclusion: Fosters an environment that embraces the strength in the diversity of our team and our community.
  • Innovation in Action: Committed to continuous learning and open to new ideas that drive positive change.


EXPERIENCE, EDUCATION, AND LICENSURE

Minimum Experience:
  • 10+ years of experience in facilitating university start-up business growth.
  • Operations experience in commercial product development is desired.
  • Experience in both non-profit and for-profit organizational environments desired.
Minimum Education:
  • Master’s level degree in business, finance, law, or science preferred
Preferred Experience:
  • 5+ years work in either university technology transfer settings and/or seed or angel funding communities.
  • Familiarity with SBIR/STTR programs and processes including TABA, experience in the deployment of entrepreneurial focused programming such as I-Corps or other relevant training programs.


We are an Equal Opportunity Employer

Interested candidates should forward a resume and salary requirements to: Human Resources, University City Science Center 3675 Market Street, Suite 400 Philadelphia, PA 19104 or email resumes@sciencecenter.org.

About the Science Center

The University City Science Center is Philadelphia’s premier catalyst of entrepreneurial activity, healthcare innovation, and economic growth. Established in 1963, the nonprofit has been recognized by The Brookings Institution as a best-in-class investor, mentor, and economic development partner for young technology companies. Working alongside industry partners and leading research and academic institutions across the globe, the Science Center has supported over 1,000 early-stage companies. Today, the organization advances healthcare innovation from idea to the marketplace through startup support services, allocating capital, gathering the innovation community, and building inclusive STEM pathways for Philadelphia youth and adults. For more information visit sciencecenter.org or follow us at @UCScienceCenter.

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